Bike ride to aid ICC scholarships

The Itawamba Community College Foundation will host a bike-riding event to raise money for student scholarships.

The “Riding Tanglefoot Trail” event will be May 3, with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. in Pontotoc, where cyclists will begin and end. The event will go from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., with participants going as far as the 50-mile round trip to Houston or as short as they would like.

The event will not be a race, but is intended as a fun ride for individuals or families.

“We thought this was a great way to get out and get exercise,” said Jim Ingram, director of the ICC Foundation.

There is no entry fee, but participants can get pledges from friends and family members to donate money for each mile they ride. They also can make a direct contribution to the foundation, if they wish, or they can just participate for no charge.

Riders who earn $100 or more will become an ICC Champion and receive a free T-shirt. The foundation also will earn money from sponsors for the event, Ingram said.

“The economy has improved, but it is still tough for a lot of individuals and a lot of families,” Ingram said of the need for the scholarships, which will benefit low-income students. “We try to help families as much as we can, and this is a way to give back to the community and help a young person or even an older person go back to school and further their education.”

The event follows last year’s fundrasier, which was a roast for former President David Cole. This year’s Tanglefoot ride was the brainchild of ICC Foundation Board President Jim Mounce, an avid cyclist.

“It gives participants an opportunity to participate in an event and also to help raise funds for a good cause,” he said. “It also introduces a lot of people to this trail for the first time, and I can’t say enough good things about this trail.”